So as I've mentioned before, on this here Blog, I am an SEC guy. (That's the Southeastern Conference if ya not hip :) And as the Florida Gators and, the (ugh) LSU Tigers and… the (Double ugh) Alabama Crimson Tide have proven in recent years, the SEC has far-and-away been the best football conference in the country. You can pretty much pencil in the SEC champ every year to play for the National Championship (usually against the Big 12 Champ nowadays, as the country is finally noticing and giving respect to the second-best conference... Sorry Pac10.) For years that respect went to the MIdwest's own, Big Ten along with their storied history and big name programs; Penn State, Northwestern, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Michigan. The Big Ten coasted on reputation about ten years too long on the National Landscape and was humiliated in a number of big games (Ohio state BSC Title games anyone?? Sorry Columbus.) But in spite of the Big Ten’s fall from grace on the football side of things, the Midwest loves their big ten! LOVES it. The Big Ten Rules around here... And Especially... in Michigan!!!
The 101d came back to Michigan two weeks ago to play for a week in East Lansing; The sister city to the very Capital of the mitten state, and also the home of those fighting Michigan State Spartans. And while historically MSU has taken a backseat to their rival UM Wolverines, in recent years they have built up some significant bragging rights of their own in the BigTen. And Especially... Because it's BASkEtBall season!!! :-) That’s right, Basketball! The best game ever :)
Since 1995, when Tom Izzo took over as head coach in East Lansing, the Spartans have been one of the best basketball programs in the country. 356 wins in that span along with 5 Big Ten Championships and 5 trips to the NCAA final four have cemented him as the best coach in school history. Not to mention their one National Championship in that span, coming in 2000, against… well… those fightin’ Florida Gators of course, who (in my UNbiased opinion) marched methodically to the championship game that year. So… um, as I said, we are NOT going to mention that :) NOR are we going to mention their point guard and team MVP that year, Mateen Cleaves, who absolutely killed the Gators in that championship game, (smiling all the way through it, I might add, ugh.) It should be noted that Morris Peterson and Jason Richardson, who may have also played brilliantly, on that day in April 2000, will likewise, NOT be mentioned here.
Twenty-one years earlier, here in East Lansing, there was another brilliant young point guard (who also had an affinity for smiling as he picked apart your defense) by the name of Earvin Johnson, or as most people called him, “Magic.” He too led the Spartans to a national Championship, his sophomore season, against Indiana State and their relatively well-known phenom, Larry Bird. Magic got the best of Larry that day, but they spent the next ten years practically trading the Championship Trophy back and forth from LA to Boston as they battled it out every year in the NBA. Those two guys generally get credit (along with a guy named Michael Jordan) for raising basketball and the League to new un-dreamt of heights in the 80’s and 90’s. Which has lead to a game that is now so widespread internationally it ranks as the second most popular sport in the world, naturally following soccer (or football, or futbol.) And that’s quite an achievement considering that soccer’s importance in many countries more closely compares to religion than recreation :) Magic had a lot to do with that, as young hoopsters around the world grew up idolizing his flashy style on the court. The Flint Michigan native won a High School State Championship, A NCAA National Championship at MSU, 5 NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, and an Olympic Gold Medal for the US in 1992. All of this information can be read under the title “Always a Champion” at the foot of the “Magic” Statue outside of the Breslin Center on the Michigan State campus, and naturally, I had to stop by to check it out.
Now, I love statues, don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen many memorable ones; Jordan in front of the United Center in Chicago, Ghandi at Union Square in New York, MLK in Birmingham. But over the years I’ve noticed that, for some reason, bronze statues never really look like the person they are supposed to be. Have you ever noticed that? :) I mean it must be extremely difficult to get facial details right on a bronze statue, because this thing was supposed to be a likeness of Magic Johnson as a 20 year old… his face looks more like Bill Russell, TODAY. “Magic’s” face totally looks like a modern day Bill Russell (who turned 76 last Friday.) Just sayin. Bronze statue molders of the world hear me. Y’all need to step it up :) 
Right around the time when Magic and Larry Bird joined up with Jordan on the US Dream Team that dominated the 1992 Olympic games in Barcelona, five youngsters in Michigan were making history of their own on the basketball court. But instead of wrecking havoc on College Hoops from East Lansing, these five guys decided to go to Magic’s first choice of schools; the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. You know their names right? The Fab Five Freshmen; Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson... (although I had to look up Ray Jackson. Sorry dude, for some reason I can always remember the other four :) These guys were the only entirely freshman starting five to even come close to a championship in NCAA history, and they did it in 92 as freshmen and 93 as Sophomores, each time falling one game short of the big prize. Still, those were the golden days in Ann Arbor.
But despite their on-court success in those years, their greatest and lasting achievement was how they, and UM basketball, revolutionized fashion sense within the game. As I’m sure you had noticed, up until the early nineties, NBA and College basketball players, for some mind-numbingly BAFFLING reason, wore the SHORTEST shorts that could be found. It's really kind of unbelievable now looking back. I mean, check out these old pics!! :)
And these are tall guys too. What were they thinking about? It’s so bizarre to look back at the old films and see how short these guys’ shorts were!!! Bill Russell, Wilt, Dr. J, Bird, McHale, Stockton. Ugh. WAY too much leg! It is an obvious and inexcusable travesty that the “Daisy-Duke” style lasted for so many generations, oddly unchecked, but the winds of change were blowing in the early 90’s, and the Fab Five took it to the extreme. These guys had their shorts past the knee!
Suddenly, instead of looking well, kinda goofy, Basketball uni’s finally had some STYLE. And we all emulated it. All over the world, practically over-night, basketball shorts extended their base lengths by 12 inches… or more. Finally, some sanity! But then, as with any fad, in many instances we took it too far... Tremaine Johnson, (my NHS highschool teammate, point guard) I’m looking in your direction!... Tremaine was about 5 foot 9 and his shorts were at his ANKLES! But… he did kinda look mad cool :) right Sousa? Gary?...Anyway, basketball has never been the same since those days at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor when the Fab Five changed the way the game is viewed. (Honestly, it probably had more to do with the uniform designers than the players, but for the sake of this blog we’ll give the credit to the guys on the court.) Thank you Chris, Juwan, Jalen, Jimmy, and Ray for, at long last, bringing basketball to it’s senses. We are forever in your debt.
And as luck would have it, Ann Arbor just happened to be the next stop on the Underdog trail, and, of course, we had to head out to that very hallowed ground of Crisler to see a Modern day Michigan basketball game against the Wisconsin Badgers (Currently ranked #14 in the country.) Wow. The years have not been kind to the Wolverine basketball program. (Is that because they're not paying their players anymore? Youch. Low blow? :) Yea, sadly for the Big Blue supporters, The Fab Five is definitely NOT walking through that door. Wisconsin wins in a blowout 62-44, and it wasn't really that close. Still it was a thrill to be in that historic hall where the ghosts of the Fab Five still linger. The debate continues even up to the present day. Were they the best team money could buy? :)
Next up Michigan HOCKEY... and we get to Chicago!
Stay tuned, and Take Care,
Underdogs OUT!
No comments:
Post a Comment